Birth trauma and brachial plexus injury — branching viva

Station opening

Examiner: "Define birth trauma and describe the tissue-system categories of birth injury." ^[6]

Strong candidate (must-hit)

• Defines birth trauma as any physical injury sustained during the mechanical forces of labour and delivery. Classifies by tissue system: skeletal (clavicle fracture is the most common, followed by femur, humerus, and skull fractures), soft tissue (cephalhaematoma, subgaleal haemorrhage, bruising, lacerations, sternocleidomastoid injury), neurological (brachial plexus birth injury is the most important and most common focal nerve injury, followed by facial nerve palsy, phrenic nerve palsy, and the devastating cervical spinal cord injury), and visceral (adrenal, liver, and splenic haemorrhage). States that brachial plexus birth injury warrants particular attention because of its frequency (~1.5 per 1000 live births), its treatability, and the time-sensitive 3-month surgical threshold. ^{[1] [6]}

Weak candidate

• "It's when the baby gets hurt during delivery. The most common is a broken collarbone." ^[6]